Transcript

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>> As millions of Filipinos vote for a new president on Monday, the so-called Trump of the East looks to be in pole position. There are five names on the ballot, but one has been grabbing the most attention, Rodrigo Duterte, aka The Punisher. As Reuters' John Chalmers reports from Manila, fiery speeches have won him a legion of support.

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>> He talks about killing criminals who resist arrest. He's talked about putting, after he's killed the criminals, putting them into the Manila Bay where he says the fish will get fat with so many bodies. He has said that even if his children take drugs, he would kill them himself.

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He's criticized the pope, which is pretty amazing that he's managed to get away with that in a country, which is overwhelmingly Roman Catholic.>> Duterte has referred to himself as the death squad, saying 100,000 criminals will die if he gets elected. That, he says, will help him achieve his target of eliminating crime within six months.

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Clearly, his approach isn't going to win over everyone, but it's helping him standout against his opponents, which include the grandson of an ex-president and the adopted daughter of a movie star.>> The problem for the other candidates is that they're seen as very much part of that political elite, and the electorate seems to be looking for characters, people with strong personalities.

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In some cases, people are saying that they feel that they need an authoritarian figure.>> For all his tough talk, Duterte hasn't given a clear sign of how he plans to help the one in four Filipinos living in poverty, but experts say he still got support among the poor who are frustrated by years of promises but no change under the old guard.

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Officials had hoped they could announce a winner by Monday night, but with various reports of computer glitches at polling booths, it could be several days before the country's new leader is announced.